Fountain Pens 'stop Pupils from Getting Results': Brit School Principal

The head of a school in Britain has warned students not to write with a fountain pen, as he fears they might be marked down in exams.

Jack Williams, who is a self-confessed fan of the fountain pen, says modern computerised marking systems used for GCSEs often miss the pen strokes, and this could lead for example, to crucial decimal points being missed in maths exams.

An Incentive to Go to School ?
If you thought that schools are insulated against corruption and bribery, be prepared to read this about a school in UK which is offering students a family holiday as a 'carrot' to attend classes.

The head of 8,250pounds-a-year Hillcrest Grammar and Preparatory School in Stockport has written to parents saying children should only use ballpoints.

"For the long essays a mark on an exam paper not getting picked up by the scanner might not affect things, but for maths and science it could be the difference between grades," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

"One of the exam boards said last year on one of the maths exams that a lot of decimal points weren't picked up by the computer scanners," he stated.

Since Pre-School, Children are Primed to Appreciate Gender Stereotypes
Ever wondered why wearing pink, having long tresses and keeping a check on your make-up every now and then make people categorise you as a typical girl? Well, now a thesis from the

Some exam scripts are scanned by a computer programmed to detect the correct answers, and Williams said exam boards had told him only black ballpoint ink showed up properly.

"This strikes me as a real backward step - using fountain pens tends to improve writing and presentation and encourages higher standards as a result," Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said.

How Loners and Antisocial Children are Bullied at School
A new study from Concordia University has delved into the phenomenon of peer victimization in schools, where antisocial kids and loners become the butt of bullying.

A spokesman for exam board AQA, which is used by Hillcrest, said that there are no restrictions in using fountain pens in the examinations.

Source-ANI

School-based Program Found to be Effective in Reducing Risky Sexual Behaviors
A school-based, program that addressed sexual risk behaviors was found to be effective in cutting the rates of unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners among South African teens.